Christopher Dorner identification could take hours or weeks, depending on condition of remains

By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer

Posted:
02/13/2013 01:31:02 PM PST

Updated:
02/13/2013 06:37:19 PM PST

Little remains on Feb. 13, 2013, of the Big Bear cabin where fugitive Christopher Dorner is believed to have died in a shootout with authorities and subsequent fire the day before. (John Valenzuela/Staff Photographer)

Depending on the damage to the body found in the burned-out cabin in Angelus Oaks, it could take as little as a few hours or as long as several weeks to determine if the human remains were fugitive ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner.

Much will depend on how badly the body was burned during the fire that engulfed the cabin after a lengthy shoot-out between law enforcement and the suspect.

And, it could come down to something as basic as dental records or as sophisticated as using DNA samples.

"You have to go over everything you have available," said Dr. Cyril Wecht, former president of the American Academy of Forensic Science. "For instance, in this case, it helps that you can begin with an idea of who you are dealing with.

"You know the height and weight of the person, the race of the person, the age of the individual and so on. That's a good place to start for a preliminary identification."

Beyond that, Wecht said officials will give a high priority to all the other tools available to make a positive identification.

"You also have to remember that at the same time they will be looking for a cause of death," Wecht said. "When you are dealing with a burned body, some obvious things will be covered up, like bruises or if they had been beaten."

Wecht said the best way to determine identity is with DNA -- which also might be difficult to obtain in a severely burned body.

If there is no DNA from Dorner available to compare with the DNA taken from the remains, Wecht said they could go to family members to get similarities that can be used as a match.

Scott Carrier, who worked for the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office for more than 30 years, said he believes identification will come down to dental records.

"A lot of people try to cover up their crimes by burning a victim, but the teeth are always there," Carrier said.

This is the type of rifle Christopher Dorner was using during the Feb. 12, 2013 shootout in Big Bear.

"In the end, the dental records are imperative. Even with all the new crime scene techniques -- with DNA and other procedures -- you need to have something to compare the DNA with to get a positive identification. Dental records are still the best way."

But, Carrier added, that will involve talking with family members to find the individual's dentist and getting the X-rays to have something to compare.

"Often, we might have to take X-rays ourselves and, in extreme cases, remove the jaws in order to compare," Carrier said.

Another possibility, Carrier said, is obtaining fingerprints, depending on the condition of the body.

Forensics specialists also should be able to determine the cause of death whether it was from asphyxiation, a bullet wound or some other cause.

SWAT teams from all over the Southland converged into the forest to assist in the capture of wanted fugitive Christopher Dorner on Feb. 12, 2013.

The work in identifying the body will rest with San Bernardino County officials, but Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the city is prepared to make its facilities available.

"We have been working collaboratively from the very beginning to bring this man to justice," Villaraigosa said during an interview on CNN. "We are prepared to offer any help we can to identify the body."